From the editor’s desk

Published: Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 6:10 p.m. CDT

I hope you enjoyed yourself during the annual Homestead Festival weekend. Wow! There were sure a lot of people in town. There was plenty to do for folks of all ages, and from the way it looked, everyone was having a great time. I’d like to congratulate the Homestead Festival Steering Committee — Bill and Dorothy Nelson, Mike and Deb Vrana, and Rex and Ami Chamberlain — as well as all of volunteers who helped to make this annual event a success. See our story on Page 1A and photos throughout the newspaper.

By the way ... A huge round of applause to the city of Princeton for sprucing up the town and showing visitors we live in a beautiful place of which we are so proud. The town looked beautiful!

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Wow! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I was headed home early Friday evening, and I saw farmers harvesting their corn crop along Routes 6/34! What the heck! While I clearly am not an expert on corn and soybeans, it seemed early to me. While there’s always something intrinsically beautiful about a crop ready to be harvested, I always enjoy seeing the field when the crop has been removed. I love it when all the crops are down and you can see forever.

As a little girl, it was always a big deal when it was harvest time. I was the one who had to walk around the perimeter of the field and throw ears of corn into the wagon, which was being pulled by my grandpa. Needless to say, my youthful arm (and aim) wasn’t the best, and my poor grandfather spent a considerable amount of time dodging ears of corn. Who would have thought those were the good old days!

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I had the pleasure of attending a junior high girls basketball game the other night at Princeton Christian Academy (PCA), which was playing the Dimmick Braves. My 11-year-old cousin, Kaitlynn, plays for Dimmick, and it was sure fun to watch the girls on the court. It was especially neat to see the young ladies make a great play on the court, and then watch them look in the stands with smiles on their faces to see if their parents noticed. I’ve always said kids need to know there is someone in the stands to watch them. If you haven’t attended a youth sporting event, I urge you to do so. It’s really a lot of fun.

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Speaking of sporting events, Princeton High School students are celebrating their homecoming this week with a variety of activities — not just the athletes but the entire student body. What fun! They’ve also reinstated their parade, which is set for Thursday evening. Please show your support.

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By now you know I didn’t win the Homestead Festival 50/50 drawing, where the lucky winner took home more than $6,000 ... but that’s OK. You see the Publisher’s Clearing House and I are becoming pretty good friends, and I’m sure it will just be a matter of time before they show up on my doorstep with bouquets of balloons and that huge check. I’ll probably be writing this column (or not!) from an undisclosed location after that. I’ll keep you posted (or not!).

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The Autumnal Equinox — more commonly known as the fall season — officially arrives at 3:44 p.m. on Sunday, which means the days will be getting shorter, and the nights will be getting longer. While I love the fall season, I’m not a fan of shorter days. How about you?

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Thanks to all the folks/friends who came to my book signings during the weekend. It was truly great to see each and every one of you, and I sincerely hope you enjoy “Grandma’s Cookie Jar.” I’ve had some calls from folks who weren’t able to stop this past weekend, but you can still get a copy by giving me a call or by visiting www.boxingdaybooks.com. Thanks again.

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Take a deep breath. Breathe. Exhale. And remember ... you are important to me and the BCR.